1 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:11,279 female narrator: The latest in a long line of brides 2 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:13,140 prepares to join 3 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:15,200 the most celebrated royal family on Earth. 4 00:00:15,220 --> 00:00:18,110 [dramatic music] 5 00:00:18,129 --> 00:00:21,119 Actress Meghan Markle will marry into a world 6 00:00:21,140 --> 00:00:24,230 of grand tradition and vast wealth. 7 00:00:24,250 --> 00:00:28,000 ♪ ♪ 8 00:00:28,019 --> 00:00:31,189 - My whole life shall be devoted to your service. 9 00:00:31,210 --> 00:00:36,010 narrator: But all that glitters is not gold. 10 00:00:36,030 --> 00:00:38,200 For 100 years, this royal house 11 00:00:38,219 --> 00:00:41,059 has faced scandal, 12 00:00:41,079 --> 00:00:42,279 war... 13 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,010 - A bomb fell only a few feet from the palace building. 14 00:00:45,030 --> 00:00:46,190 narrator: Adultery... 15 00:00:46,210 --> 00:00:49,170 - It would have been far easier to have had two wives. 16 00:00:49,189 --> 00:00:50,249 narrator: And tragedy. 17 00:00:50,270 --> 00:00:52,140 - Diana, the Princess of Wales, 18 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:54,219 has died at the age of 36. 19 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,180 narrator: A family that will do 20 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,280 whatever it takes to survive. 21 00:01:01,030 --> 00:01:02,270 - This vast crowd here to celebrate 22 00:01:02,289 --> 00:01:06,129 six decades of the queen's reign. 23 00:01:07,060 --> 00:01:12,090 narrator: Duty, power, and sacrifice. 24 00:01:12,109 --> 00:01:14,019 "The Windsors." 25 00:01:14,039 --> 00:01:20,109 ♪ ♪ 26 00:01:34,079 --> 00:01:36,039 1911. 27 00:01:36,060 --> 00:01:38,070 The future of the British monarchy 28 00:01:38,090 --> 00:01:41,270 rests on the shoulders of a teenage boy: 29 00:01:41,289 --> 00:01:44,999 Prince Edward. 30 00:01:45,020 --> 00:01:47,030 He is the eldest son of King George V 31 00:01:47,049 --> 00:01:50,119 and his wife, Queen Mary. 32 00:01:50,140 --> 00:01:52,020 On his father's death, 33 00:01:52,039 --> 00:01:56,189 Edward will reign over Britain and her vast empire. 34 00:01:56,210 --> 00:02:00,060 ♪ ♪ 35 00:02:00,079 --> 00:02:02,219 - Edward is only 17 when his father, 36 00:02:02,239 --> 00:02:04,079 King George V, 37 00:02:04,099 --> 00:02:07,029 forces him to go through this special ceremony 38 00:02:07,049 --> 00:02:10,169 declaring him Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. 39 00:02:10,189 --> 00:02:12,249 - The whole ceremony is all planned 40 00:02:12,270 --> 00:02:14,220 by his father King George, 41 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,000 and everything about it is one giant symbol 42 00:02:17,020 --> 00:02:20,060 of what George thinks monarchy should be. 43 00:02:21,150 --> 00:02:25,090 narrator: King George V is the 38th monarch in a line 44 00:02:25,110 --> 00:02:28,230 that stretches back nearly a thousand years 45 00:02:28,250 --> 00:02:31,070 through eight royal houses 46 00:02:31,090 --> 00:02:33,290 all the way to William the Conqueror. 47 00:02:34,009 --> 00:02:37,239 Though George holds no direct political power, 48 00:02:37,259 --> 00:02:39,119 as Head of State 49 00:02:39,139 --> 00:02:42,029 and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, 50 00:02:42,050 --> 00:02:45,060 many regard the king as the ultimate symbol 51 00:02:45,079 --> 00:02:47,169 of Britain's national identity. 52 00:02:47,189 --> 00:02:52,079 ♪ ♪ 53 00:02:52,099 --> 00:02:57,169 Today, Edward will be publicly presented as king in waiting 54 00:02:57,189 --> 00:03:01,039 when he is crowned Prince of Wales. 55 00:03:01,060 --> 00:03:05,100 - King George designs this wonderful medieval outfit 56 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,100 for him to wear. 57 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,050 - Edward absolutely hates it, 58 00:03:10,069 --> 00:03:14,169 and he can't wait to get out of the ceremonial robes. 59 00:03:14,189 --> 00:03:16,239 - He must have looked to the future 60 00:03:16,259 --> 00:03:18,209 with absolute horror. 61 00:03:18,229 --> 00:03:24,089 It was a foretaste of a life of formality and ceremony 62 00:03:24,110 --> 00:03:26,000 which he absolutely hated. 63 00:03:26,020 --> 00:03:28,120 [crowd cheering] 64 00:03:28,139 --> 00:03:30,139 - Edward is part of a new generation, 65 00:03:30,159 --> 00:03:33,099 and he wants to do things differently from his father, 66 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,090 and his father, King George V, 67 00:03:35,110 --> 00:03:38,030 is very much part of the old guard. 68 00:03:39,259 --> 00:03:42,139 narrator: The upbringing of the royal children 69 00:03:42,159 --> 00:03:44,129 has been purposefully shaped 70 00:03:44,150 --> 00:03:48,080 to protect a thousand years of tradition. 71 00:03:53,129 --> 00:03:56,149 - George V is particularly strict on his children 72 00:03:56,170 --> 00:03:58,000 because he believes 73 00:03:58,020 --> 00:04:00,050 that they should be sort of virtuous role models 74 00:04:00,069 --> 00:04:04,269 that his people should then look up to and emulate. 75 00:04:04,289 --> 00:04:07,119 - There were precise rules for everything. 76 00:04:07,139 --> 00:04:11,229 The children could be punished for something so slight 77 00:04:11,250 --> 00:04:16,140 as wearing the wrong kilt with the wrong jacket. 78 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,030 - George V had a ruthless temper. 79 00:04:19,050 --> 00:04:21,070 When the boys were summoned to their father's study 80 00:04:21,089 --> 00:04:24,239 they were absolutely terrified because he was the king, 81 00:04:24,259 --> 00:04:26,209 and you didn't argue with the king. 82 00:04:26,230 --> 00:04:28,030 - There is almost nothing 83 00:04:28,050 --> 00:04:30,140 of the natural sort of fun and affection 84 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:34,030 that you would expect to see in most families. 85 00:04:34,050 --> 00:04:36,140 narrator: As a child, Edward is closest 86 00:04:36,159 --> 00:04:38,239 to his younger brother, Prince Albert, 87 00:04:38,259 --> 00:04:41,129 known in the family as "Bertie." 88 00:04:41,149 --> 00:04:44,119 - Bertie is shy. 89 00:04:44,139 --> 00:04:50,059 He suffers from a serious stammer. 90 00:04:50,079 --> 00:04:54,019 His father is very unsympathetic. 91 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,180 - Edward and Bertie are both really oppressed 92 00:04:56,199 --> 00:04:59,039 by their father's tough regime, 93 00:04:59,060 --> 00:05:01,200 and they do gain some solace 94 00:05:01,220 --> 00:05:04,230 from the fact that they are in it together. 95 00:05:04,250 --> 00:05:07,000 narrator: But the two brothers find an escape route 96 00:05:07,019 --> 00:05:11,269 from their father's strict household... 97 00:05:11,290 --> 00:05:13,010 war. 98 00:05:13,029 --> 00:05:15,239 ♪ ♪ 99 00:05:15,259 --> 00:05:18,009 - Germany is threatening to become 100 00:05:18,029 --> 00:05:20,279 the dominant power on the European continent, 101 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,130 and there comes a point when Britain has to intervene. 102 00:05:25,149 --> 00:05:27,139 narrator: More than 30 countries, 103 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,000 including the United States, 104 00:05:30,019 --> 00:05:33,249 will be dragged into the first truly global conflict: 105 00:05:33,269 --> 00:05:37,049 World War I. 106 00:05:37,069 --> 00:05:38,179 - 20-year-old Edward, 107 00:05:38,199 --> 00:05:42,049 like other 20-year-old young men in Britain 108 00:05:42,069 --> 00:05:46,049 want to go out and fight for their country. 109 00:05:46,069 --> 00:05:50,009 - George is advised that it would be good for him 110 00:05:50,029 --> 00:05:51,089 and for the monarchy 111 00:05:51,110 --> 00:05:53,280 if his sons are seen to take part. 112 00:05:55,129 --> 00:05:59,279 narrator: But if the king allows his sons to go to war, 113 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,240 they will be fighting against their own family. 114 00:06:02,259 --> 00:06:05,289 Germany's ruler, Kaiser Wilhelm, 115 00:06:06,009 --> 00:06:09,209 is George's first cousin. 116 00:06:09,230 --> 00:06:12,220 - In fact, the British royal family is related 117 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,020 to most of the royal houses of Europe. 118 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:16,130 They're all intermarried, 119 00:06:16,149 --> 00:06:17,269 and they're all cousins of one another. 120 00:06:17,290 --> 00:06:20,290 narrator: George V and Kaiser Wilhelm 121 00:06:21,009 --> 00:06:25,079 are both grandsons of the late Queen Victoria. 122 00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:27,220 Known as the Grandmother of Europe, 123 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:29,290 she sat at the center of a vast network 124 00:06:30,009 --> 00:06:34,039 of royal families connected by blood and marriage. 125 00:06:34,060 --> 00:06:38,250 Victoria was married to a German, Prince Albert. 126 00:06:38,269 --> 00:06:42,099 - So the name of the British royal family 127 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:46,280 is the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty. 128 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:52,180 - George's German roots are a PR disaster waiting to happen. 129 00:06:52,199 --> 00:06:54,289 His people are at war with Germany, 130 00:06:55,009 --> 00:06:58,179 but how can the king command their loyalty 131 00:06:58,199 --> 00:07:00,149 if they're questioning his British origins 132 00:07:00,170 --> 00:07:02,160 in the first place? 133 00:07:02,180 --> 00:07:06,110 - The British public becomes very much aware and critical 134 00:07:06,129 --> 00:07:11,059 of the German origins of the king, 135 00:07:11,079 --> 00:07:12,169 and at this point 136 00:07:12,189 --> 00:07:15,179 George makes a really radical change. 137 00:07:15,199 --> 00:07:18,099 - They have to change the family name. 138 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,170 - The question is, what name? 139 00:07:20,189 --> 00:07:23,009 And all sorts of names were thought of, 140 00:07:23,029 --> 00:07:26,069 and eventually they come up with the brilliant idea 141 00:07:26,089 --> 00:07:29,109 of calling the new dynasty the House of Windsor. 142 00:07:29,129 --> 00:07:31,149 [grand orchestral music] 143 00:07:31,170 --> 00:07:34,210 narrator: The name comes from Windsor Castle, 144 00:07:34,230 --> 00:07:38,010 one of the official residences of British monarchs. 145 00:07:38,029 --> 00:07:40,199 - Windsor Castle, been there for a thousand years, 146 00:07:40,220 --> 00:07:43,200 it's absolutely quintessential Britain. 147 00:07:43,220 --> 00:07:47,260 - They change their name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, 148 00:07:47,279 --> 00:07:50,069 and with that they say to the nation, 149 00:07:50,090 --> 00:07:52,200 "We're not German; we're English. 150 00:07:52,220 --> 00:07:55,250 We're English, just like you." 151 00:07:55,269 --> 00:07:57,089 narrator: It works. 152 00:07:57,110 --> 00:08:01,210 The PR maneuver increases the king's popularity. 153 00:08:01,230 --> 00:08:05,050 One crisis has been averted, 154 00:08:05,069 --> 00:08:07,209 but the war will soon force 155 00:08:07,230 --> 00:08:11,030 an impossible decision on the king. 156 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,170 [dramatic music] 157 00:08:17,189 --> 00:08:21,079 announcer: 1917. 158 00:08:21,100 --> 00:08:24,160 The First World War rages on. 159 00:08:24,180 --> 00:08:28,100 Prince Edward is now an officer in the British army. 160 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:30,130 - But he's not allowed to fight. 161 00:08:30,149 --> 00:08:33,069 He's not allowed near the front line. 162 00:08:33,090 --> 00:08:35,110 - He says to his father, King George, 163 00:08:35,129 --> 00:08:37,239 "Look, I've got to be doing my bit." 164 00:08:37,259 --> 00:08:39,119 And his father said, 165 00:08:39,139 --> 00:08:42,019 "No, no, you can't risk being killed or captured." 166 00:08:42,039 --> 00:08:45,289 - And that's an experience that he finds extremely humiliating. 167 00:08:46,009 --> 00:08:48,129 narrator: His father insists that the Prince of Wales 168 00:08:48,149 --> 00:08:50,279 is protected at all times, 169 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,220 but Edward defies his father's orders. 170 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:57,140 - At one point he escaped from his minders 171 00:08:57,159 --> 00:09:00,169 and stole a motorbike and headed off for the front line. 172 00:09:00,190 --> 00:09:04,040 [motorcycle engine chugs] 173 00:09:04,059 --> 00:09:08,079 And he hears the stories of ordinary men, 174 00:09:08,100 --> 00:09:12,160 and he sees the sacrifices that they're making. 175 00:09:13,289 --> 00:09:16,249 - It's at this time that Edward realizes 176 00:09:16,269 --> 00:09:19,219 that he is able to make contact and connection 177 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:24,100 with ordinary people outside the bubble of the court. 178 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:26,040 - He was extremely popular. 179 00:09:26,059 --> 00:09:28,279 He represented a new generation. 180 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,230 ♪ ♪ 181 00:09:30,250 --> 00:09:34,130 narrator: Edward's personal popularity may be on the rise, 182 00:09:34,149 --> 00:09:36,279 but King George faces another wave 183 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,110 of public dissatisfaction with the monarchy. 184 00:09:41,129 --> 00:09:43,219 - The carnage of the First World War 185 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:48,050 makes people question the old, traditional social order. 186 00:09:48,070 --> 00:09:50,190 They're supposed to be fighting for king and country 187 00:09:50,210 --> 00:09:53,140 but really, what is it all about? 188 00:09:53,159 --> 00:09:55,019 - The working classes in particular 189 00:09:55,039 --> 00:09:57,219 are questioning the decisions taken 190 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,290 by their social superiors, people like the monarchs. 191 00:10:02,009 --> 00:10:04,229 - Particularly worrying is what's going on in Russia 192 00:10:04,250 --> 00:10:08,160 with George's cousin, Tsar Nicholas II. 193 00:10:08,179 --> 00:10:10,149 [crowd clamoring] 194 00:10:10,169 --> 00:10:12,119 narrator: In March 1917, 195 00:10:12,139 --> 00:10:15,159 revolutionaries depose the Tsar 196 00:10:15,179 --> 00:10:20,069 and place the Russian royal family under house arrest. 197 00:10:20,090 --> 00:10:22,260 - Tsar Nicholas needs asylum. 198 00:10:22,279 --> 00:10:25,169 He wants to come to England. 199 00:10:25,190 --> 00:10:28,160 - King George is very close to his cousin Nicky. 200 00:10:28,179 --> 00:10:30,009 They were actually very good friends, 201 00:10:30,029 --> 00:10:32,049 and they looked almost identical. 202 00:10:33,059 --> 00:10:34,249 The problem with the Tsar is that 203 00:10:34,269 --> 00:10:39,219 he is incredibly unpopular amongst some people in Britain. 204 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:43,010 - He is seen as a blood-stained tyrant, 205 00:10:43,029 --> 00:10:48,009 brutally quashing any kind of uprising prior to 1917. 206 00:10:48,029 --> 00:10:50,179 narrator: The fall of the Tsar is celebrated 207 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:55,120 by a growing number of the British working class. 208 00:10:55,139 --> 00:10:57,239 - George is afraid that if he brings in Nicholas 209 00:10:57,259 --> 00:10:59,289 we'll have a sort of flaming of communist revolution 210 00:11:00,009 --> 00:11:02,159 in this country as well. 211 00:11:02,179 --> 00:11:04,289 - If the Russian royal family can be toppled, 212 00:11:05,009 --> 00:11:08,229 what's to say that the British royal family aren't next? 213 00:11:08,250 --> 00:11:10,280 - George will do everything he can 214 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,150 to preserve his own dynasty and his own family. 215 00:11:15,169 --> 00:11:18,019 narrator: The king makes a cold-hearted choice. 216 00:11:18,039 --> 00:11:20,099 He refuses asylum to his cousin, 217 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,050 his wife, and their five children. 218 00:11:25,090 --> 00:11:26,270 One year later, 219 00:11:26,289 --> 00:11:29,179 King George learns the fate of his Russian family. 220 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:33,130 - A group of Bolshevik soldiers just opened fire on them. 221 00:11:33,149 --> 00:11:35,059 [gunshots] 222 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:36,170 The Tsar died straightaway, 223 00:11:36,190 --> 00:11:38,170 but it took a long time to kill his son, 224 00:11:38,190 --> 00:11:41,090 the tsarina, and the princesses. 225 00:11:41,110 --> 00:11:44,230 They all had jewels, diamonds, sewn into their underwear, 226 00:11:44,250 --> 00:11:46,190 which acted as a kind of armor 227 00:11:46,210 --> 00:11:48,270 and so their death was more agonizing 228 00:11:48,289 --> 00:11:52,009 than it might otherwise have been. 229 00:11:52,029 --> 00:11:56,079 - George writes in his diary of his shock and his misery, 230 00:11:56,100 --> 00:11:58,100 but he never speaks of it publicly 231 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:00,180 because he knows he didn't save them. 232 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:02,190 He didn't offer them asylum. 233 00:12:02,210 --> 00:12:04,050 - Ultimately, 234 00:12:04,070 --> 00:12:07,020 the survival of the British monarchy comes first. 235 00:12:07,039 --> 00:12:10,039 [soldiers cheering] 236 00:12:10,059 --> 00:12:14,279 narrator: In November 1918, after four long years of war, 237 00:12:15,009 --> 00:12:17,029 Germany surrenders. 238 00:12:17,049 --> 00:12:19,029 Prince Edward, heir to the throne, 239 00:12:19,049 --> 00:12:22,219 is welcomed home as a war hero. 240 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,090 - But at this point, 241 00:12:24,110 --> 00:12:26,140 a whole new set of challenges emerges 242 00:12:26,159 --> 00:12:28,129 and the biggest of those, perhaps, 243 00:12:28,149 --> 00:12:31,069 is the survival of the British Empire, 244 00:12:31,090 --> 00:12:33,170 which is starting to fray at the edges. 245 00:12:33,190 --> 00:12:35,090 ♪ ♪ 246 00:12:35,110 --> 00:12:36,200 narrator: King George's empire 247 00:12:36,220 --> 00:12:38,200 extends from Canada to Australia, 248 00:12:38,220 --> 00:12:41,230 covering a fifth of the world's population. 249 00:12:41,250 --> 00:12:43,180 ♪ ♪ 250 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:45,270 Nearly 3 million of George's subjects 251 00:12:45,289 --> 00:12:49,159 from across the empire fought in World War I, 252 00:12:49,179 --> 00:12:54,049 and hundreds of thousands lost their lives. 253 00:12:54,070 --> 00:12:58,040 Many now question their sacrifice. 254 00:12:58,059 --> 00:13:00,059 ♪ ♪ 255 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,150 - There is lots of discontent and rebellion 256 00:13:02,169 --> 00:13:05,029 in different parts of the empire. 257 00:13:05,049 --> 00:13:07,219 - There are nationalist uprisings 258 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:09,050 and a lot of violence 259 00:13:09,070 --> 00:13:11,290 in Egypt, Ireland, and in India. 260 00:13:12,289 --> 00:13:14,079 - King George realizes 261 00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:17,020 that his son Edward's wartime popularity 262 00:13:17,039 --> 00:13:18,199 is something that he can use 263 00:13:18,220 --> 00:13:21,290 to shore up the loyalty of the British Empire. 264 00:13:23,049 --> 00:13:27,149 - In the fall of 1919, Edward is sent off 265 00:13:27,169 --> 00:13:31,189 on his first major overseas tour to Canada. 266 00:13:33,029 --> 00:13:35,099 - Edward embarks on these tours 267 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:38,070 as an ambassador on behalf of his father 268 00:13:38,090 --> 00:13:39,210 to broker good relations 269 00:13:39,230 --> 00:13:42,110 between Britain and the representative figures 270 00:13:42,129 --> 00:13:44,189 who he meets in these different countries. 271 00:13:44,210 --> 00:13:47,080 - The program that's been set for him 272 00:13:47,100 --> 00:13:50,210 is a very old-fashioned, formal one 273 00:13:50,230 --> 00:13:55,270 with carriage rides and formal lunches and receptions. 274 00:13:55,289 --> 00:14:00,219 - Edward is the very antithesis of his parents, 275 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:02,070 King George and Queen Mary, 276 00:14:02,090 --> 00:14:06,260 who were enormously correct and very, very stuffy. 277 00:14:08,029 --> 00:14:11,129 - The first thing that Edward does when he gets to Canada 278 00:14:11,149 --> 00:14:14,239 is to fire the organizer for the tour. 279 00:14:14,259 --> 00:14:16,099 That's the same man 280 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:20,010 has organized his father's tour a few years before. 281 00:14:20,029 --> 00:14:22,039 - He begins to practice 282 00:14:22,059 --> 00:14:24,049 the more informal style of monarchy 283 00:14:24,070 --> 00:14:27,260 which he had begun to develop during the First World War. 284 00:14:27,279 --> 00:14:30,129 - He wants to have mass receptions 285 00:14:30,149 --> 00:14:34,229 where he can meet as many people as possible. 286 00:14:34,250 --> 00:14:37,240 - He shook so many hands that his right hand became unusable. 287 00:14:37,259 --> 00:14:40,279 It was too bruised, and he had to start shaking hands 288 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,140 with people using his left hand. 289 00:14:43,159 --> 00:14:45,009 - Of course, the Prince of Wales 290 00:14:45,029 --> 00:14:46,259 was a very dynamic character, 291 00:14:46,279 --> 00:14:49,149 and the fact that he was so good-looking, 292 00:14:49,169 --> 00:14:52,179 he got mobbed wherever he went. 293 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,070 - At the end of his Canadian tour, 294 00:14:55,090 --> 00:14:58,030 Edward decides to tack on 295 00:14:58,049 --> 00:15:00,269 a visit to America 296 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,260 where President Woodrow Wilson has invited him. 297 00:15:04,279 --> 00:15:08,019 - He's given a ticker tape parade in Manhattan, 298 00:15:08,039 --> 00:15:11,039 and people are just delighted to see him. 299 00:15:11,059 --> 00:15:13,009 [crowd cheering] 300 00:15:13,029 --> 00:15:17,089 - He falls in love with the U.S. and American way of life. 301 00:15:17,110 --> 00:15:20,000 ♪ ♪ 302 00:15:20,019 --> 00:15:22,259 - For him, the wide-open spaces 303 00:15:22,279 --> 00:15:25,139 represent a life of freedom, 304 00:15:25,159 --> 00:15:28,019 somewhere where he can be his own man 305 00:15:28,039 --> 00:15:31,099 in charge of his own destiny. 306 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:33,190 - Edward loves North America so much 307 00:15:33,210 --> 00:15:37,010 that he buys a cattle ranch, and he has this fantasy 308 00:15:37,029 --> 00:15:40,019 that one day he will be able to retire from public life 309 00:15:40,039 --> 00:15:43,249 and go and live out a private existence on this ranch. 310 00:15:44,279 --> 00:15:46,259 - He's got all of these responsibilities, 311 00:15:46,279 --> 00:15:49,069 he's representing the British throne, 312 00:15:49,090 --> 00:15:53,170 and then at the same time there are things that he wants to do. 313 00:15:53,190 --> 00:15:57,110 He loves the social life; he loves to go dancing. 314 00:15:57,129 --> 00:16:01,029 He really is a kind of Jazz Age prince. 315 00:16:01,049 --> 00:16:03,109 narrator: The prince's flirtation with America 316 00:16:03,129 --> 00:16:05,159 will set him on a collision course 317 00:16:05,179 --> 00:16:07,009 not only with his father, 318 00:16:07,029 --> 00:16:10,099 but also with the entire House of Windsor. 319 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,150 [dramatic music] 320 00:16:17,169 --> 00:16:19,059 ♪ ♪ 321 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,020 announcer: Throughout the 1920s, 322 00:16:21,039 --> 00:16:23,269 Prince Edward crisscrosses the British Empire 323 00:16:23,289 --> 00:16:27,279 as ambassador for his father, King George. 324 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,240 - George V really understands that 325 00:16:30,259 --> 00:16:33,219 for the monarchy to survive, it has to be useful. 326 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,060 Edward travels around the world 327 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,280 on behalf of the British Empire 328 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:41,160 on endless goodwill tours. 329 00:16:41,179 --> 00:16:45,029 - What an amazing constitution the Prince of Wales must have. 330 00:16:45,049 --> 00:16:48,129 Here he is arriving at a garden party in Buenos Aires 331 00:16:48,149 --> 00:16:52,109 where he shook hands with over 500 people. 332 00:16:52,129 --> 00:16:54,119 - Edward works really hard as Prince of Wales. 333 00:16:54,139 --> 00:16:56,059 He goes on all these tours, 334 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:59,100 much more than George had done when he was Prince of Wales. 335 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:00,280 Prince Edward is Britain's answer 336 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,070 to Hollywood celebrity. 337 00:17:03,090 --> 00:17:06,250 - Whatever he wears is adopted as a fashion. 338 00:17:06,269 --> 00:17:09,269 - I suppose we shall all be wearing boaters now. 339 00:17:09,289 --> 00:17:13,089 narrator: Despite Edward's huge popularity, 340 00:17:13,109 --> 00:17:15,079 his father, King George, 341 00:17:15,099 --> 00:17:19,099 is irritated by his modern approach. 342 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:22,269 - From George's point of view, Edward can do nothing right. 343 00:17:22,289 --> 00:17:25,159 George is constantly picking, criticizing, 344 00:17:25,180 --> 00:17:27,110 silly little things about, you know, 345 00:17:27,130 --> 00:17:30,230 how he shakes too many hands, or he wears the wrong clothes. 346 00:17:30,250 --> 00:17:33,220 You know, constant carping. 347 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,120 narrator: In 1924, 348 00:17:35,140 --> 00:17:38,100 Edward takes a break from his royal duties 349 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:41,229 and is drawn back to his beloved America. 350 00:17:41,250 --> 00:17:43,190 ♪ ♪ 351 00:17:43,210 --> 00:17:46,180 - The USA is one of the few places in the world 352 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:50,010 that Edward visits that's not part of the British Empire, 353 00:17:50,029 --> 00:17:53,119 so he feels much greater freedom in America. 354 00:17:53,140 --> 00:17:56,070 [jaunty music] 355 00:17:56,089 --> 00:17:58,289 ♪ ♪ 356 00:17:59,009 --> 00:18:01,049 - Edward falls in with the kind of 357 00:18:01,069 --> 00:18:04,159 high-living, socializing set of Long Island, 358 00:18:04,180 --> 00:18:08,110 and he spends three weeks living it up. 359 00:18:08,130 --> 00:18:12,150 ♪ ♪ 360 00:18:12,170 --> 00:18:15,110 - One of the first people he meets in America 361 00:18:15,130 --> 00:18:18,220 is Pinna Cruger, a Hollywood starlet. 362 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:22,080 She is married to a New York millionaire, 363 00:18:22,099 --> 00:18:25,109 and they embark on a passionate affair. 364 00:18:25,130 --> 00:18:29,290 ♪ ♪ 365 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,260 - It was fun, probably, for everybody, 366 00:18:34,279 --> 00:18:36,169 except for the Prince of Wales's father 367 00:18:36,190 --> 00:18:39,250 who back in England is thinking, "Good Lord, 368 00:18:39,269 --> 00:18:44,059 this isn't possibly the tour that we had anticipated." 369 00:18:44,079 --> 00:18:48,119 - When Edward returns from his trip to America in 1924, 370 00:18:48,140 --> 00:18:51,080 his father is apoplectic. 371 00:18:51,099 --> 00:18:53,089 [dramatic music] 372 00:18:53,109 --> 00:18:57,269 - The king has a pile of news clippings on his desk 373 00:18:57,289 --> 00:18:59,279 with such headlines as, 374 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,020 "Prince gets in with the milkman." 375 00:19:03,039 --> 00:19:06,219 - George V expects his son to behave properly, 376 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:08,070 with decorum, with etiquette, 377 00:19:08,089 --> 00:19:11,149 to project a certain moral virtuosity, 378 00:19:11,170 --> 00:19:15,150 to maintain the image worthy of the future king. 379 00:19:15,170 --> 00:19:19,160 In George's mind, Edward is letting the side down. 380 00:19:19,180 --> 00:19:23,090 - George is furious at this public exposure, 381 00:19:23,109 --> 00:19:24,209 and he is so annoyed 382 00:19:24,230 --> 00:19:27,170 that he refuses to let Edward ever go back 383 00:19:27,190 --> 00:19:30,050 to the United States again. 384 00:19:30,069 --> 00:19:32,039 ♪ ♪ 385 00:19:32,059 --> 00:19:33,189 narrator: But America's influence 386 00:19:33,210 --> 00:19:35,280 has transformed Edward's vision 387 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,190 of the kind of royal he wants to be. 388 00:19:39,210 --> 00:19:41,090 ♪ ♪ 389 00:19:41,109 --> 00:19:44,209 - Edward believes that America is more democratic, 390 00:19:44,230 --> 00:19:47,170 that if he could dispense with pomp and pageantry 391 00:19:47,190 --> 00:19:52,050 that perhaps the monarchy will have a relevance. 392 00:19:52,069 --> 00:19:56,039 - Britain is going through very difficult times economically 393 00:19:56,059 --> 00:19:58,219 with the Depression. 394 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:00,290 He is out there meeting the people, 395 00:20:01,009 --> 00:20:03,049 going into ordinary houses, 396 00:20:03,069 --> 00:20:05,109 finding out about working conditions 397 00:20:05,130 --> 00:20:07,260 on a much more direct and immediate level 398 00:20:07,279 --> 00:20:11,129 than royalty has ever done before. 399 00:20:11,150 --> 00:20:14,130 - Edward is enormously popular. 400 00:20:14,150 --> 00:20:17,010 Suddenly here was somebody 401 00:20:17,029 --> 00:20:21,129 who was willing to talk to you like a normal human being, 402 00:20:21,150 --> 00:20:24,160 and people were just overwhelmed by that. 403 00:20:24,180 --> 00:20:28,070 ♪ ♪ 404 00:20:28,089 --> 00:20:30,049 - He speaks out about 405 00:20:30,069 --> 00:20:32,159 the dreadful living conditions 406 00:20:32,180 --> 00:20:35,260 and housing in Britain. 407 00:20:35,279 --> 00:20:38,059 - And this shocked the government 408 00:20:38,079 --> 00:20:42,999 because it was an implicit criticism of them. 409 00:20:43,019 --> 00:20:44,269 - It was crossing a line, if you like, 410 00:20:44,289 --> 00:20:46,139 that here was the Prince of Wales 411 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,140 actually getting involved with politics, 412 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,200 and this was something that the monarchy of George V 413 00:20:52,220 --> 00:20:55,010 was certainly very against. 414 00:20:55,029 --> 00:20:57,239 - Usually the monarchy should stay out of politics, 415 00:20:57,259 --> 00:21:00,109 and Edward is breaking all the rules. 416 00:21:01,150 --> 00:21:04,190 - King George worries desperately about the future, 417 00:21:04,210 --> 00:21:06,170 and he is reported to say, 418 00:21:06,190 --> 00:21:11,290 "After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in 12 months." 419 00:21:12,210 --> 00:21:14,140 narrator: But the king is delighd 420 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:19,060 with the man his second son Bertie is promising to become. 421 00:21:19,079 --> 00:21:21,239 - Edward and Bertie are very different characters. 422 00:21:21,259 --> 00:21:23,179 Edward's very glamorous, outgoing, 423 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:28,000 and Bertie is terribly shy and rather nervous. 424 00:21:28,019 --> 00:21:31,079 - Bertie marries Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 425 00:21:31,099 --> 00:21:35,159 who is from a very grand, ancient, 426 00:21:35,180 --> 00:21:39,050 Scottish aristocratic family. 427 00:21:39,069 --> 00:21:41,239 - In 1926, she has Elizabeth. 428 00:21:41,259 --> 00:21:45,109 In 1930, she has Margaret Rose. 429 00:21:45,130 --> 00:21:49,200 - Bertie, in living his life the way he is, 430 00:21:49,220 --> 00:21:52,010 is pleasing his father 431 00:21:52,029 --> 00:21:57,019 and doing exactly what George V would want him to do. 432 00:21:57,039 --> 00:21:59,219 - Bertie has become very close to his father, 433 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,290 and that's because he lives a virtuous family life. 434 00:22:03,009 --> 00:22:05,999 And on the other hand you have Edward, the bad boy. 435 00:22:06,019 --> 00:22:07,289 He is unmarried, single, 436 00:22:08,009 --> 00:22:09,259 and his father thinks his eldest son 437 00:22:09,279 --> 00:22:13,289 is woefully underprepared for becoming king. 438 00:22:15,019 --> 00:22:19,999 - So as Edward approaches 40, he's really at a low ebb. 439 00:22:20,019 --> 00:22:21,179 He feels lonely. 440 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,070 His brothers are all settling down, 441 00:22:24,089 --> 00:22:27,999 making marriages, and having children. 442 00:22:28,019 --> 00:22:30,129 - And that's when he meets the woman 443 00:22:30,150 --> 00:22:35,240 who will throw the entire monarchy into crisis. 444 00:22:41,019 --> 00:22:42,999 [dramatic music] 445 00:22:43,019 --> 00:22:47,189 ♪ ♪ 446 00:22:47,210 --> 00:22:51,090 announcer: London, spring 1934. 447 00:22:51,109 --> 00:22:55,259 Prince Edward hosts a party at the Dorchester Hotel. 448 00:22:55,279 --> 00:22:58,079 Among the guests are an American couple, 449 00:22:58,099 --> 00:23:00,149 Ernest and Wallis Simpson. 450 00:23:00,170 --> 00:23:02,260 ♪ ♪ 451 00:23:02,279 --> 00:23:05,109 Wallis is a socialite from Baltimore. 452 00:23:05,130 --> 00:23:09,020 Ernest, her second husband. 453 00:23:09,039 --> 00:23:11,249 - Wallis exudes charm. 454 00:23:11,269 --> 00:23:13,159 ♪ ♪ 455 00:23:13,180 --> 00:23:16,050 She's got very strong features. 456 00:23:16,069 --> 00:23:19,129 Of course, elegantly dressed. 457 00:23:19,150 --> 00:23:21,220 Tiny skinny. 458 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,260 I mean, "You can never be too rich or too thin," 459 00:23:24,279 --> 00:23:27,279 I think she might have said. [laughs] 460 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,270 ♪ ♪ 461 00:23:30,289 --> 00:23:34,139 - They're sitting together, other people are dancing, 462 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:38,000 and Edward suddenly opens up about his work, 463 00:23:38,019 --> 00:23:42,239 the visits that he's making to the coal mining areas. 464 00:23:42,259 --> 00:23:45,159 And Wallis listens attentively. 465 00:23:45,180 --> 00:23:48,200 - And he talks to her about the burdens that he faces 466 00:23:48,220 --> 00:23:51,200 and all the difficulties of his daily job, 467 00:23:51,220 --> 00:23:54,090 and Wallis is not only deeply sympathetic, 468 00:23:54,109 --> 00:23:56,259 she's very knowledgeable. 469 00:23:58,079 --> 00:23:59,129 - And he says, 470 00:23:59,150 --> 00:24:00,260 "Wallis, you're the first woman 471 00:24:00,279 --> 00:24:02,129 who has ever been interested in my job." 472 00:24:02,150 --> 00:24:04,120 ♪ ♪ 473 00:24:04,140 --> 00:24:06,140 - Wallis very quickly realizes 474 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:10,070 that beneath that confident veneer, 475 00:24:10,089 --> 00:24:12,269 the Prince is actually 476 00:24:12,289 --> 00:24:16,999 lacking in self-confidence to some extent. 477 00:24:17,289 --> 00:24:22,119 - In Wallis, he finds someone with whom he can really discuss 478 00:24:22,140 --> 00:24:27,070 all these matters that are preying on his mind. 479 00:24:27,089 --> 00:24:31,129 - Wallis doesn't defer to him in a slavish kind of way 480 00:24:31,150 --> 00:24:33,180 as the English tended to do. 481 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:36,080 He was subjected to the most arrant, 482 00:24:36,099 --> 00:24:39,029 appalling flattery by the English. 483 00:24:39,049 --> 00:24:40,069 She didn't do that. 484 00:24:40,089 --> 00:24:43,269 She'd talk to him as woman to man, 485 00:24:43,289 --> 00:24:45,209 and he liked this. 486 00:24:46,210 --> 00:24:50,040 narrator: Edward and Wallis become secret lovers. 487 00:24:50,059 --> 00:24:54,009 Before long, she is a regular guest at Fort Belvedere, 488 00:24:54,029 --> 00:24:56,259 his private retreat. 489 00:24:56,279 --> 00:24:59,259 - Fort Belvedere meant everything to Edward. 490 00:24:59,279 --> 00:25:01,229 He can be there 491 00:25:01,250 --> 00:25:06,250 with no royal protocol going on around him. 492 00:25:06,269 --> 00:25:08,999 - Fort Belvedere was his sort of getaway 493 00:25:09,019 --> 00:25:11,029 from the rigors of court life. 494 00:25:11,049 --> 00:25:12,169 - What he loves doing 495 00:25:12,190 --> 00:25:14,290 is having the cocktails before dinner 496 00:25:15,009 --> 00:25:17,049 and rolling up the carpet after dinner 497 00:25:17,069 --> 00:25:19,049 and putting on gramophone records. 498 00:25:19,069 --> 00:25:20,199 All of those sort of things that 499 00:25:20,220 --> 00:25:22,270 Queen Mary up the road in Windsor Castle 500 00:25:22,289 --> 00:25:24,289 and King George would abhor. 501 00:25:25,009 --> 00:25:27,009 ♪ ♪ 502 00:25:27,029 --> 00:25:28,159 - It's amazing how quickly 503 00:25:28,180 --> 00:25:33,110 the relationship between Wallis and Edward develops. 504 00:25:33,130 --> 00:25:36,060 - Edward falls head over heels for Wallis, 505 00:25:36,079 --> 00:25:38,019 I think precisely because 506 00:25:38,039 --> 00:25:39,149 she offers him the love and support 507 00:25:39,170 --> 00:25:41,200 that he wasn't necessarily getting 508 00:25:41,220 --> 00:25:45,120 particularly from his father but also his mother. 509 00:25:45,140 --> 00:25:46,270 It's also the case that 510 00:25:46,289 --> 00:25:50,099 Edward has a great affection for all things American. 511 00:25:51,190 --> 00:25:54,040 - There was something about an American woman 512 00:25:54,059 --> 00:25:58,999 that he found spirited and different and sparky 513 00:25:59,019 --> 00:26:03,189 that is key to any relationship as far as Edward is concerned. 514 00:26:03,210 --> 00:26:06,180 - She had this ability to make you feel 515 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:10,120 that you were the most important person in the room, 516 00:26:10,140 --> 00:26:12,180 and the rest of the world had just sort of vanished 517 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,250 and she was completely focused on you. 518 00:26:16,220 --> 00:26:20,020 - Wallis establishes herself very quickly 519 00:26:20,039 --> 00:26:25,029 as the unofficial wife at Fort Belvedere. 520 00:26:26,109 --> 00:26:29,249 - But Wallis presents a number of problems, 521 00:26:29,269 --> 00:26:31,079 not least the fact 522 00:26:31,099 --> 00:26:34,289 that she is married and has been divorced. 523 00:26:35,009 --> 00:26:36,239 Divorce is simply not done. 524 00:26:36,259 --> 00:26:39,209 I mean, it's taboo not just in Britain 525 00:26:39,230 --> 00:26:41,270 but also in the United States. 526 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,290 - Divorced people in England at this point have no status. 527 00:26:46,009 --> 00:26:49,069 They're almost viewed as pariahs. 528 00:26:49,089 --> 00:26:50,259 - So, for him to have a relationship 529 00:26:50,279 --> 00:26:53,069 with a woman who has been divorced 530 00:26:53,089 --> 00:26:55,159 is completely unheard of. 531 00:26:58,039 --> 00:27:00,219 - Divorced people can't be presented at court, 532 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,110 so they can't meet the royal family officially. 533 00:27:04,130 --> 00:27:07,070 - However, Edward is so besotted with her 534 00:27:07,089 --> 00:27:09,179 that he wants her to accompany him 535 00:27:09,200 --> 00:27:13,190 to the pre-wedding ball of his younger brother, 536 00:27:13,210 --> 00:27:15,150 Prince George. 537 00:27:15,170 --> 00:27:18,040 - Edward is absolutely determined 538 00:27:18,059 --> 00:27:20,219 he is going to bring Wallis to this party 539 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:24,290 to meet his father against all advice and protocol. 540 00:27:25,009 --> 00:27:27,179 ♪ ♪ 541 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,180 - Edward's younger brother Bertie and his wife Elizabeth 542 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:32,030 are horrified. 543 00:27:32,049 --> 00:27:35,049 They think that this unscrupulous woman, 544 00:27:35,069 --> 00:27:36,999 this woman of low morals, 545 00:27:37,019 --> 00:27:40,099 should not be in the company either of themselves 546 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:43,079 or for that matter, the Prince of Wales. 547 00:27:43,099 --> 00:27:47,039 - Wallis is finally introduced to Edward's father, 548 00:27:47,059 --> 00:27:48,229 King George V, 549 00:27:48,250 --> 00:27:54,000 and she feels the icy stare almost burning through her. 550 00:27:54,019 --> 00:27:57,189 ♪ ♪ 551 00:27:57,210 --> 00:28:00,120 - George really explodes with rage and says, you know, 552 00:28:00,140 --> 00:28:03,180 "She must not darken my doors again." 553 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:07,160 And there is a real serious bust-up 554 00:28:07,180 --> 00:28:09,200 between father and son. 555 00:28:09,220 --> 00:28:10,260 - King George and Queen Mary 556 00:28:10,279 --> 00:28:13,209 are terribly worried about the degree 557 00:28:13,230 --> 00:28:18,000 to which he is completely under Wallis's spell. 558 00:28:18,019 --> 00:28:19,239 narrator: His parents are fearful 559 00:28:19,259 --> 00:28:23,129 of what this could mean for the future of the monarchy. 560 00:28:23,150 --> 00:28:26,110 ♪ ♪ 561 00:28:26,130 --> 00:28:28,070 But before they can intervene, 562 00:28:28,089 --> 00:28:32,149 King George's health suddenly declines. 563 00:28:33,089 --> 00:28:35,189 - King George becomes seriously ill. 564 00:28:35,210 --> 00:28:38,150 It's clear that he's on his death bed, 565 00:28:38,170 --> 00:28:41,150 and that means that Edward will become king, 566 00:28:41,170 --> 00:28:42,220 and that will change 567 00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:46,040 everything about his relationship with Wallis. 568 00:28:52,190 --> 00:28:54,050 [dramatic music] 569 00:28:54,069 --> 00:28:58,999 narrator: At Sandringham House in January 1936, 570 00:28:59,019 --> 00:29:02,179 King George V dies from heart failure 571 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:04,180 at the age of 70. 572 00:29:06,269 --> 00:29:09,119 - When George breathes his last, 573 00:29:09,140 --> 00:29:12,050 Mary, the queen-- 574 00:29:12,069 --> 00:29:17,139 one of her first acts is to bow before her son Edward 575 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:22,170 and to kiss his hand, because in that moment 576 00:29:22,190 --> 00:29:26,130 he's gone from being Edward 577 00:29:26,150 --> 00:29:29,200 to King Edward VIII. 578 00:29:29,220 --> 00:29:31,200 ♪ ♪ 579 00:29:31,220 --> 00:29:33,130 - Two days after he becomes king, 580 00:29:33,150 --> 00:29:36,160 there is a ceremony at St. James's Palace 581 00:29:36,180 --> 00:29:40,050 when his accession is proclaimed. 582 00:29:40,069 --> 00:29:42,019 [fanfare] 583 00:29:42,039 --> 00:29:45,209 - Prince Edward Albert Christian 584 00:29:45,230 --> 00:29:48,180 George Andrew Patrick David. 585 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:50,180 [cannon blasts] 586 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:55,020 - My grandmother was at the proclamation. 587 00:29:55,039 --> 00:29:57,029 She's there in the courtyard, 588 00:29:57,049 --> 00:30:00,149 and looking up, she sees at a window 589 00:30:00,170 --> 00:30:03,040 the new king, Edward, 590 00:30:03,059 --> 00:30:05,289 with Wallis by his side, 591 00:30:06,009 --> 00:30:08,209 and she's very shocked by this. 592 00:30:08,230 --> 00:30:12,090 - We have the new king standing next to his American mistress 593 00:30:12,109 --> 00:30:14,149 laughing, enjoying himself, 594 00:30:14,170 --> 00:30:16,050 when they should have been in mourning, 595 00:30:16,069 --> 00:30:17,159 and it should have been 596 00:30:17,180 --> 00:30:20,290 a much more somber, dignified occasion. 597 00:30:21,009 --> 00:30:22,249 - The king's only just died. 598 00:30:22,269 --> 00:30:24,109 To appear at a window 599 00:30:24,130 --> 00:30:27,240 with your mistress as you're proclaimed king? 600 00:30:27,259 --> 00:30:30,239 Well, what more can I say? 601 00:30:30,259 --> 00:30:32,109 ♪ ♪ 602 00:30:32,130 --> 00:30:35,270 - The gravity of his role as the new constitutional king 603 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,140 seems to pass Edward completely by. 604 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,070 - And you get the feeling that really 605 00:30:41,089 --> 00:30:43,169 he is kind of liberated. 606 00:30:43,190 --> 00:30:44,290 Now, his father is gone. 607 00:30:45,009 --> 00:30:46,259 He can do exactly what he wants. 608 00:30:46,279 --> 00:30:51,269 - He spends most of every week planning luncheons and dinners 609 00:30:51,289 --> 00:30:54,009 and weekends at Fort Belvedere, 610 00:30:54,029 --> 00:30:58,179 or buying costly presents and jewels for Wallis. 611 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:02,030 A playboy king. 612 00:31:02,049 --> 00:31:06,109 - Edward's reliance on Mrs. Simpson grows. 613 00:31:06,130 --> 00:31:08,180 He neglects his official duties. 614 00:31:08,200 --> 00:31:11,210 He doesn't do the things that he's supposed to be doing. 615 00:31:11,230 --> 00:31:13,090 He doesn't do his job. 616 00:31:13,109 --> 00:31:15,199 narrator: So far, his affair with Mrs. Simpson 617 00:31:15,220 --> 00:31:19,080 has been successfully kept from the public, 618 00:31:19,099 --> 00:31:21,069 but Edward's passion for Wallis 619 00:31:21,089 --> 00:31:24,139 is becoming all-consuming. 620 00:31:24,160 --> 00:31:27,170 - Edward should be meeting and greeting his ministers, 621 00:31:27,190 --> 00:31:30,110 looking through state papers and signing off laws, 622 00:31:30,130 --> 00:31:33,160 and yet, he very quickly lets things slide. 623 00:31:33,180 --> 00:31:37,090 ♪ ♪ 624 00:31:37,109 --> 00:31:40,099 - Edward charters a yacht 625 00:31:40,119 --> 00:31:44,259 to go round the Mediterranean for a few days. 626 00:31:46,029 --> 00:31:48,219 - Edward thinks that he's sort of off-duty. 627 00:31:48,240 --> 00:31:51,290 He can behave as anybody might behave in those circumstances. 628 00:31:52,009 --> 00:31:54,009 You know, they sail round Greece. 629 00:31:54,029 --> 00:31:56,189 He's photographed without his shirt on. 630 00:31:56,210 --> 00:32:00,210 This would have made poor George V turn in his grave. 631 00:32:00,230 --> 00:32:02,220 - Up to then, in public at least, 632 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:07,060 he's been relatively discreet about meeting Wallis, 633 00:32:07,079 --> 00:32:11,209 but on holiday he throws caution to the winds, 634 00:32:11,230 --> 00:32:14,220 and there are dozens of photographers 635 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:18,100 following Edward and Wallis on this tour. 636 00:32:18,119 --> 00:32:20,209 ♪ ♪ 637 00:32:20,230 --> 00:32:24,200 - The American press print so many photographs 638 00:32:24,220 --> 00:32:26,250 of Mrs. Simpson with the king 639 00:32:26,269 --> 00:32:29,209 that it starts a conversation 640 00:32:29,230 --> 00:32:31,160 about whether or not they will marry. 641 00:32:31,180 --> 00:32:33,260 ♪ ♪ 642 00:32:33,279 --> 00:32:36,269 - And there's one particularly compromising photograph 643 00:32:36,289 --> 00:32:39,139 which shows Wallis Simpson resting her hand 644 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:43,050 in a very sort of comfortable way on his arm. 645 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:50,200 - The king's body is reverent and dignified. 646 00:32:50,220 --> 00:32:52,250 You're not meant to touch the king's body, 647 00:32:52,269 --> 00:32:54,109 certainly not in public. 648 00:32:54,130 --> 00:32:57,050 It's not the done thing. 649 00:32:57,069 --> 00:33:00,259 - That is the moment when it's pretty obvious they are close 650 00:33:00,279 --> 00:33:02,269 and have been for some time. 651 00:33:04,150 --> 00:33:06,130 - The trip is very much a turning point 652 00:33:06,150 --> 00:33:08,040 for Wallis and Edward, 653 00:33:08,059 --> 00:33:12,119 because their relationship becomes known globally. 654 00:33:12,140 --> 00:33:14,280 narrator: While the entire world learns 655 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:18,030 of Edward and Mrs. Simpson's affair, 656 00:33:18,049 --> 00:33:22,159 in Britain, the story is censored. 657 00:33:22,180 --> 00:33:25,250 - You could buy American newspapers in England, 658 00:33:25,269 --> 00:33:28,079 but if there was a story about Wallis 659 00:33:28,099 --> 00:33:30,039 it would be cut out with scissors. 660 00:33:30,059 --> 00:33:32,149 The newsagents had to remove it 661 00:33:32,170 --> 00:33:35,280 before they were allowed to sell it. 662 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:39,130 - Now, this is as a result of a gentleman's agreement 663 00:33:39,150 --> 00:33:44,230 whereby the press is very deferential to the monarchy. 664 00:33:44,250 --> 00:33:47,180 - So after Mrs. Simpson and Edward 665 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:49,260 return from their cruise, 666 00:33:49,279 --> 00:33:51,179 her Aunt Bessie from Baltimore 667 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:54,270 sends her a pile of newspaper clippings. 668 00:33:54,289 --> 00:34:00,119 - Wallis is furious that she's become public property. 669 00:34:00,140 --> 00:34:01,280 Wallis says to the king, 670 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:05,190 "We have to break this off now." 671 00:34:05,210 --> 00:34:07,120 - He's besotted by her. 672 00:34:07,140 --> 00:34:11,080 He's absolutely at her mercy. 673 00:34:11,099 --> 00:34:13,019 - He threatens, wherever she goes 674 00:34:13,039 --> 00:34:16,259 he will come and find her, and if he doesn't find her, 675 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:19,240 having searched the four corners of the Earth, 676 00:34:19,260 --> 00:34:22,240 he will kill himself. 677 00:34:22,260 --> 00:34:25,150 ♪ ♪ 678 00:34:25,170 --> 00:34:27,240 narrator: Finally, Wallis and Ernest Simpson 679 00:34:27,260 --> 00:34:30,000 decide their marriage is over 680 00:34:30,019 --> 00:34:34,099 and initiate divorce proceedings. 681 00:34:34,119 --> 00:34:36,199 - A crisis is now imminent. 682 00:34:36,219 --> 00:34:39,139 - Members of the government, members of the palace, 683 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:41,219 all become very concerned 684 00:34:41,239 --> 00:34:44,249 that within six months, she will be divorced 685 00:34:44,269 --> 00:34:47,009 and she will then be free to marry him. 686 00:34:47,030 --> 00:34:50,150 - For the royal family to marry a divorced woman 687 00:34:50,170 --> 00:34:53,030 is the most appalling, 688 00:34:53,050 --> 00:34:56,080 scandalous, unthinkable thing. 689 00:34:56,099 --> 00:34:58,039 ♪ ♪ 690 00:34:58,059 --> 00:34:59,229 - As king, 691 00:34:59,250 --> 00:35:01,110 Edward is Supreme Governor of the Church of England 692 00:35:01,130 --> 00:35:04,210 and defender of the faith, and as such, 693 00:35:04,230 --> 00:35:07,200 he simply could not marry a divorced woman 694 00:35:07,219 --> 00:35:09,059 because this was outlawed 695 00:35:09,079 --> 00:35:13,109 by the faith which he was trying to defend. 696 00:35:13,130 --> 00:35:15,000 - And King Edward realizes 697 00:35:15,019 --> 00:35:17,039 that he's going to have to make a choice. 698 00:35:22,110 --> 00:35:25,120 [fanfare] 699 00:35:25,139 --> 00:35:26,269 - Today, the American press 700 00:35:26,289 --> 00:35:28,149 is filled with rumors of royal romance, 701 00:35:28,170 --> 00:35:31,070 and in this topsy-turvy world, it may be time 702 00:35:31,090 --> 00:35:34,050 for an American woman to marry a British king. 703 00:35:34,070 --> 00:35:36,060 [dramatic music] 704 00:35:36,079 --> 00:35:37,999 ♪ ♪ 705 00:35:38,019 --> 00:35:39,229 narrator: King Edward has been on the throne 706 00:35:39,250 --> 00:35:43,000 for just nine months. 707 00:35:43,019 --> 00:35:46,009 Until now, he's managed to keep his two-year affair 708 00:35:46,030 --> 00:35:49,260 with Wallis secret from the British public. 709 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:52,290 - The world knows all about this relationship, 710 00:35:53,010 --> 00:35:56,260 but in Britain, they're still in the dark. 711 00:35:56,280 --> 00:36:00,110 - Expatriates in America are writing home to Britain 712 00:36:00,130 --> 00:36:02,170 saying, "What is happening?" 713 00:36:02,190 --> 00:36:04,200 ♪ ♪ 714 00:36:04,219 --> 00:36:07,109 - Finally, Edward has a meeting 715 00:36:07,130 --> 00:36:09,120 with the Prime Minister, Baldwin. 716 00:36:09,139 --> 00:36:11,179 ♪ ♪ 717 00:36:11,199 --> 00:36:13,219 - Edward declares his hand. 718 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:17,999 He says that he is determined to marry Wallis. 719 00:36:18,019 --> 00:36:20,149 ♪ ♪ 720 00:36:20,170 --> 00:36:22,180 - This is a bombshell. 721 00:36:23,139 --> 00:36:26,229 - The prime minister tells him that he has three options. 722 00:36:26,250 --> 00:36:28,120 He can give up his relationship 723 00:36:28,139 --> 00:36:29,209 with Mrs. Simpson, 724 00:36:29,230 --> 00:36:31,160 he can marry Mrs. Simpson 725 00:36:31,179 --> 00:36:34,229 against the express wishes of his ministers 726 00:36:34,250 --> 00:36:37,000 who will then resign, 727 00:36:37,019 --> 00:36:39,079 or he can abdicate. 728 00:36:39,099 --> 00:36:41,239 ♪ ♪ 729 00:36:41,260 --> 00:36:45,020 - There is no precedence for abdication. 730 00:36:45,039 --> 00:36:47,269 There is no blueprint of what a king 731 00:36:47,289 --> 00:36:51,109 or indeed a prime minister or a parliament should do. 732 00:36:51,130 --> 00:36:54,100 - It's the throne or it's Mrs. Simpson. 733 00:36:54,119 --> 00:36:58,079 It's one or the other. He can't have both. 734 00:36:58,099 --> 00:37:02,179 - However, before Edward has made a decision, 735 00:37:02,199 --> 00:37:04,149 the story breaks in the press. 736 00:37:04,170 --> 00:37:06,180 ♪ ♪ 737 00:37:06,199 --> 00:37:09,149 - Ultimately, the British newspapers realize 738 00:37:09,170 --> 00:37:11,210 that they simply can't hold off any longer. 739 00:37:11,230 --> 00:37:13,040 This story is too big. 740 00:37:13,059 --> 00:37:15,039 They break the gentleman's agreement 741 00:37:15,059 --> 00:37:16,229 and decide to publish it. 742 00:37:16,250 --> 00:37:20,140 - The British Empire faces an extraordinary crisis. 743 00:37:20,159 --> 00:37:23,029 Not for centuries have these houses of parliament witnessed 744 00:37:23,050 --> 00:37:25,070 so dangerous a political struggle. 745 00:37:25,090 --> 00:37:28,220 Shall King Edward VIII marry Mrs. Simpson? 746 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:30,129 No, say the ministers of the cabinet 747 00:37:30,150 --> 00:37:31,200 supported by the Church of England 748 00:37:31,219 --> 00:37:33,059 and the upper classes. 749 00:37:33,079 --> 00:37:34,289 They are bitter in opposition to the king 750 00:37:35,010 --> 00:37:37,260 marrying the American woman twice divorced. 751 00:37:37,280 --> 00:37:39,150 ♪ ♪ 752 00:37:39,170 --> 00:37:41,290 - There's a great division among the public 753 00:37:42,010 --> 00:37:46,110 between those people who see this as a great love story, 754 00:37:46,130 --> 00:37:49,150 and then there are a great many people who see this 755 00:37:49,170 --> 00:37:51,290 as an absolute dereliction of duty 756 00:37:52,010 --> 00:37:55,240 because he wants to marry a American socialite. 757 00:37:55,260 --> 00:37:59,040 - Wallis becomes immensely unpopular 758 00:37:59,059 --> 00:38:03,059 as the woman who threatens to take away the king, 759 00:38:03,079 --> 00:38:05,009 and her house is surrounded. 760 00:38:05,030 --> 00:38:08,170 Stones are thrown through the window. 761 00:38:08,190 --> 00:38:12,040 - She's the center of this attention, 762 00:38:12,059 --> 00:38:14,119 and you know, 763 00:38:14,139 --> 00:38:16,249 that would be hard for any woman. 764 00:38:16,269 --> 00:38:19,249 - So Wallis is quite panicked now 765 00:38:19,269 --> 00:38:23,119 and she thinks the time is right to flee London, 766 00:38:23,139 --> 00:38:26,159 and she drives off to the south of France 767 00:38:26,179 --> 00:38:29,209 and she's chased by a press pack 768 00:38:29,230 --> 00:38:33,110 desperate for more details. 769 00:38:33,130 --> 00:38:36,030 - Edward is desolate when she leaves. 770 00:38:36,050 --> 00:38:39,010 She has been his support, 771 00:38:39,030 --> 00:38:43,140 his confidant, and obviously, his lover, 772 00:38:43,159 --> 00:38:47,049 and without her he is completely bereft. 773 00:38:47,070 --> 00:38:49,210 ♪ ♪ 774 00:38:49,230 --> 00:38:54,030 - Edward finds himself faced with a huge dilemma. 775 00:38:54,050 --> 00:38:57,060 He's having to choose between 776 00:38:57,079 --> 00:39:01,079 doing the job that he had trained his entire life for 777 00:39:01,099 --> 00:39:04,119 and Wallis Simpson. 778 00:39:04,139 --> 00:39:07,269 [distant bells clanging] 779 00:39:07,289 --> 00:39:10,249 narrator: Eight days after the crisis breaks, 780 00:39:10,269 --> 00:39:13,999 Edward finally addresses the nation. 781 00:39:14,019 --> 00:39:17,029 ♪ ♪ 782 00:39:17,050 --> 00:39:19,160 - This is Windsor Castle. 783 00:39:19,179 --> 00:39:22,269 His royal highness, Prince Edward. 784 00:39:22,289 --> 00:39:24,069 - I was in bed. 785 00:39:24,090 --> 00:39:25,240 I think I was half asleep, 786 00:39:25,260 --> 00:39:27,100 'cause I remember somebody coming in 787 00:39:27,119 --> 00:39:29,119 and saying that the king's coming on, 788 00:39:29,139 --> 00:39:32,199 so there was going to be an announcement. 789 00:39:32,219 --> 00:39:34,249 - I mean, everybody tuned in. 790 00:39:34,269 --> 00:39:37,259 It was an extraordinary moment. 791 00:39:37,280 --> 00:39:39,150 - Until now, 792 00:39:39,170 --> 00:39:43,150 it has not been constitutionally possible 793 00:39:43,170 --> 00:39:45,160 for me to speak. 794 00:39:45,179 --> 00:39:48,139 A few hours ago, 795 00:39:48,159 --> 00:39:51,249 I discharged my last duty 796 00:39:51,269 --> 00:39:54,279 as king and emperor. 797 00:39:56,139 --> 00:40:01,099 But you must believe me when I tell you 798 00:40:01,119 --> 00:40:03,259 that I have found it impossible 799 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:07,250 to carry the heavy burden of responsibility 800 00:40:07,269 --> 00:40:11,199 and to discharge my duties as king 801 00:40:11,219 --> 00:40:14,179 as I would wish to do 802 00:40:14,199 --> 00:40:19,279 without the help and support of the woman I love. 803 00:40:23,079 --> 00:40:26,289 - When the British public finally learns what's happened, 804 00:40:27,010 --> 00:40:30,250 they feel absolutely shocked and betrayed. 805 00:40:30,269 --> 00:40:34,999 How could a king give up his throne and empire? 806 00:40:35,019 --> 00:40:36,259 ♪ ♪ 807 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:38,090 - I thought it was a doomsday. 808 00:40:38,110 --> 00:40:39,210 I thought it was the end of the world. 809 00:40:39,230 --> 00:40:41,230 [chuckling] We hadn't got a king anymore. 810 00:40:41,250 --> 00:40:44,170 ♪ ♪ 811 00:40:44,190 --> 00:40:48,270 - Edward sits down with his brothers around him 812 00:40:48,289 --> 00:40:54,029 as witnesses to this momentous, unprecedented event 813 00:40:54,050 --> 00:40:56,210 and signs that fateful decree, 814 00:40:56,230 --> 00:41:00,210 abdicating the throne of England. 815 00:41:00,230 --> 00:41:04,130 - Bertie, who will become king, feels nothing but dread 816 00:41:04,150 --> 00:41:06,140 at the prospect of succeeding. 817 00:41:06,159 --> 00:41:11,219 Edward himself feels a sense, finally, of freedom. 818 00:41:11,239 --> 00:41:13,069 [engine turns over] 819 00:41:13,090 --> 00:41:15,180 narrator: In the early hours of December the 12th, 820 00:41:15,199 --> 00:41:20,169 Edward leaves the country and goes into exile. 821 00:41:20,190 --> 00:41:24,170 - No king has ever abdicated like this before. 822 00:41:24,190 --> 00:41:27,270 It's completely unprecedented. 823 00:41:27,289 --> 00:41:31,279 - Edward leaves after just over 300 days on the throne... 824 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,020 ♪ ♪ 825 00:41:34,039 --> 00:41:37,079 And in doing so, he throws the monarchy into chaos. 826 00:41:37,099 --> 00:41:42,029 narrator: Next on "The Windsors"... 827 00:41:42,050 --> 00:41:46,050 - Bertie has been tasked with this incredibly difficult job. 828 00:41:46,070 --> 00:41:50,040 - He'd always been the moon to his brother's sun. 829 00:41:50,059 --> 00:41:52,059 - His brother Edward is, if you like, 830 00:41:52,079 --> 00:41:54,169 cavorting with the Nazis. 831 00:41:54,190 --> 00:41:57,150 - And all of this was undermining Bertie. 832 00:41:57,170 --> 00:41:59,080 - Edward hasn't yet adjusted to the fact 833 00:41:59,099 --> 00:42:00,179 that he is not the king. 834 00:42:00,199 --> 00:42:02,149 This is a big problem.